Quantification of fetal steroids in nails of neonates to quantify prenatal stress and growth restriction.

This study assesses the impact of prenatal stress and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosteronesulfate (DHEAS) concentrations in nails of newborns. Nail samples were gained from 56 newborn infants. The concentration of DHEA and DHEAS was measured by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Prenatal stress was assessed by the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire and by the Life Experience Survey. Prenatal stress was not associated with infant nail DHEA or DHEAS concentrations. The concentration of DHEA and DHEAS was decreased in infants with IUGR (DHEA: p =  0.037, DHEAS p < 0.01). Nail-DHEAS increased with gestational age (p < 0.01). In this study prenatal life event stress or pregnancy specific stress do not correlate with higher DHEA or DHEAS concentrations in nails of newborns. Concentration of DHEAS is rather affected by length of gestation. Our approach is an easily applicable method to assess intrauterine life with the potential to give insights in the activity of fetal hormone systems and mechanism underlying fetal programming.